B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin submitted a letter to The New York Times in response to a June 15 guest essay by Rosemary Kelanic that disregards the real reasons behind Israel’s preemptive action against Iran. In her op-ed, Kelanic completely ignores decades of failed diplomacy that enabled Iran’s nuclear ambitions—and fails to mention its status as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Read the full letter below.

From Daniel S. Mariaschin, B’nai B’rith International CEO:

To the editor:

On June 15, in her piece, “America Must Not Get Dragged Into a War With Iran,” Rosemary Kelanic has ignored entirely the true reasons that Israel has moved forward with its preemptive action.

Failed diplomacy and decades of benign neglect are exactly what have brought Iran just steps away from developing nuclear weapons. And where would such weapons be aimed? Kelanic doesn’t say, but the answer to that question is Israel (which Iran’s leaders call a “cancerous tumor” which it has vowed to “wipe off the map”) and “the Great Satan,” which is Tehran’s nickname for the United States.

Kelanic also fails to note Iran is the largest state-sponsor of terror in the world, exporting ideology and weapons to destabilize the Middle East and beyond.

Whether she likes it or not, or admits it or not, the United States already has a huge stake in the outcome of Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. So does the rest of the Middle East. And the world.

The stakes could not be higher: The world owes Israel a debt of gratitude for its heavy lifting to neutralize a threat that hangs over us all. World leaders have pandered to Tehran for decades, enabling Tehran to put us all at risk. Tiny Israel has turned the tables.

Daniel S. Mariaschin is the CEO of B’nai B’rith International. As the organization’s top executive officer, Mariaschin directs and supervises B’nai B’rith programs, activities and staff around the world.